Steam & Excursion > Even In Her 2nd Career, This Steam Locomotive Is Right At Home!

Baldwin was quite successful in penetrating the market of the lumber industry of the Pacific Northwest.  Probably the most popular of their steam locomotives for this industry was the 44-inch drivered 2-8-2's.  Literally dozens of these "standard logging Mikes" found work on the various logging railroad in this region in the first half of the last century.

January, 1958 finds Georgia-Pacific #5 shoving her train of empty disconnect truck into position at the reload at Logsdon, Oregon, north of the mill at Toledo.  This trim 2-8-2 was built in May, 1922 for the Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company of Bend, Oregon.  She was well suited for some 80-miles of logging railroad out of Bend that was operated by Brooks-Scanlon from 1915 until the end of 1956.  #5 had been saved as the last steam locomotive on the roster of Brooks-Scanlon after a pair of ALCO diesels replaced steam in 1952.

In early 1956, Georgia-Pacific suffered a roundhouse fire at their shops in Siletz, Oregon that destroyed 2 of their Baldwin 2-6-2T's.  Georgia-Pacific quickly looked to replace these to burned steamers and Brooks-Scanlon was more than happy to sell them their #5.  This proved fortunate for #5 as she would likely have been scrapped by Brooks-Scanlon as they had done with the rest of their steam fleet.

Even though her new home on the Oregon Coastal Range is much wetter than her prior dry climate of Central Oregon, #5 is still perfectly suited for the daily chore of bringing loaded log trains to the mill and returning the empties to the re-load.  This second career saved #5 as GP had a good track record of donating it's retire steam logging locomotives when they were retired.  Today #5 is on display in Avery Park in Corvallis, Oregon.

Martin



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/24/20 04:03 by LoggerHogger.

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Martin, I've run into a couple references to the effect Brooks-Scanlon had already sold the #5 to a scrapper when Georgia Pacific had their fire and had to hastily cancel that sale.  Any truth ot that as far as you know?

Anyway, here's a C.G. Heimerdinger color shot of the #5. 

Thanks!

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV

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Jeff,

I don't think that story of #5 being sold the the scrapper is corrcect.  It was not until after #5 was sold to G-P that Brooks Scanlon hired a new logging superintendant who promptly announced he "was a truck logger".  Only then was the logging railroad with it's diesels started to be shut down.  There was no reason to sell #5 to a scrapper if the logging line was still running.  Only because G-P needed a steamer did they convince B-S to part with #5.

Note the photo you have there from Chuck shows #5 temporarily sporting the tender from 2-8-2 #3 (Coos Bay Lumber #104).

Martin

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